Pairing one of today’s most gifted jazz guitarists (Anthony Pirog) with one of rock ‘n’ roll’s fiercest rhythm sections (Brendan Canty and Joe Lally) was always going to be a recipe for success, but on their sophomore LP Anthropocosmic Nest, Washington, D.C.’s The Messthetics are blowing past the old goals and delivering one of the most raucous and satisfying releases of the year. Wildly inventive with surprises awaiting the listener at every turn, Nest is an ecstatic proclamation of skronk-and-circumstance that says not only are The Messthetics BACK, but they’re here to stay!

Fucked Up's David Comes to Life, is a ridiculously ambitious punk-rock opera about a blue collar Brit named David that falls head over heels for a political activist named Veronica in Britain's not so swinging 70s. Its a ballsy, complex, gut punch of an album that leaps further up my personal best of 2011 list with each listen. "Turn the Season" is the culmination of the album's early buildup that starts with the love at first sight optimism of "Queen of Hearts" through wondering when it will go south ("Where the fuck is the other shoe???") to the proverbial other shoe dropping - and much quicker than our erstwhile protagonist would like. Turn the season is the inflection point. It brings at least a brief bit of introspection to the raw emotion of the album's earlier songs and provides a strong lead to the final 13 (!) tracks.

Fucked Up - "Turn the Season"

Consider this Daily Listen a warm up for what promises to be an absolutely EPIC show at the Black Cat this Sunday. So, throw on your shit kickers, grab a beer, and meet us there!